Uh-oh! Vitamin D Isn't Actually Preventing Your Cold

This time of year, you’d be hard-pressed to hop on a train or bus and not spy a handful of sniffly folks. Seriously, unless you’ve got an immune system made of steel, chances are you're getting sick at least once this season. And, though we’ve been told to fill our bellies full of orange juice to help fight off pesky bugs, we might have to rethink doctor’s orders. A recent study concluded that vitamin D has little to no impact on respiratory infections.

According to the New York Times, the Clinical Infectious Disease journal published the findings, which surveyed 759 healthy people (ages 45 to 75) in four groups over four years and gave each group vitamin D, calcium, or a placebo. The findings? The folks taking the vitamin D actually had more sick days (1.8 days over a four-year span) than the placebo-taking group (which had 1.6 days ). Wowza! Calcium also proved to have little to no influence either. Okay, our minds are officially blown. But, that doesn’t mean you should pump the brakes on your vitamin D intake, necessarily. Other studies (like this one right here) indicate that vitamin D could be associated with more than just your immune system. For instance, while there is a need for more controlled and randomized trials, there's some evidence that low vitamin D levels are associated with depression. Though more research is needed, it's certainly possible that supplementation could help here. So, don't give up on vitamin D, yet! (But, it's probably not going to cure those sniffles.) (New York Times)

Late in the day, when your natural energy reserves are running low, it can be really hard to resist yet another quick cup of Joe. But, no need to feel guilty — new findings suggest that extra cup might be protecting your liver from happy hours to come, reports The Daily Mail. The Continuous Update Project's read

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In the constant battle to eat your greens, these wraps make waging war a lot less necessary. Leave the processed and refined bread products at the store and opt for nutrient-rich collard greens to up your lunch crunch game. Loaded with vegetables, plant-based protein, and tons of fiber, these wraps will fend off any read